6 Surprising Ingredients that Will Turn Your Coffee Into a SUPER Super Food!

Java has infiltrated the morning routine, and for good reason! Anti-oxidant hit, caffeine buzz to help me kill my exam, I “LOVE” the taste (I question these people)….whatever your reason to drink coffee, I am going to tell you how to amp up your cup of Joe so it’s even MORE beneficial for you!

Now, HOW do I amp up my coffee so it’s a SUPER Super Food???

1) Maca:

This root plant is popping up in more and more magazines because of all its benefits.

What to look for: Find a liquid maca supplement at your local health food store or online. Powders don’t mix quite as well. Warning: maca has a very distinctive taste though! So if you’re able to find a sample or smaller bottle, go with this first to make sure you like it!

2) Coconut cream:

Swap your milk creamer for something with a bit more of nutritive punch! Coconut cream offers plenty of healthy fats that keep you feeling satiated and providing a great source of energy. Besides, the principal fatty acid, coconut cream has lauric acid: a saturated fat found in human breast milk. Lauric acid in coconut cream helps your body fight against many viruses including HIV, herpes, etc.!

What to look for: Look for 100% PURE coconut cream! Yes that means no added sugar so caution when it comes to some products like SO-Delicious that advertise as coconut milk or cream but often have added sugars. “Hogwash!” You may say, “I like my coffee sweeter”. Let’s go to #3 then 🙂

3) Honey:

For a little added sweetness and more importantly key nutrients and enzymes! Steer clear of the mini white sugar packs that are just screaming INFLAMMATION! Honey absorbs much more slowly than sugar into the blood stream and therefore causing less of an insulin spike. And to boot, honey acts as an anti-fungal and anti-bacterial agent so keeps your immune system healthy & happy!

What to look for: Unpasteurized honey! This still has the live enzymes in it versus pasteurized kills off many of the healthy enzymes naturally found in honey.

4)Cinnamon:

There’s the obvious when it comes to cinnamon: flavor! But the hidden benefit is sugar balancing. It actually helps enhance the sweetness of a food but is actually controlling your blood sugar levels, one of the reasons many diabetics incorporate it into their diet. In addition, research shows that just by smelling cinnamon cognitive processing boosts brain function and memory capability. What better way to start off your day???

What to look for: NON-irradiated cinnamon. Irradiation uses ionized radiation to kill possible bacteria in order to increase shelf life. This may sound good at first glance BUT lots of the medicinal features of cinnamon are eliminated by this process as well as the potency of the flavor. How do you know if it is non-irradiated? The package should actually state that right on it.

5) Mushrooms:

Hopefully you didn’t automatically skip over this one as soon as you saw mushrooms. Why on Earth would someone add mushrooms to their coffee when I don’t even want to add mushrooms to my actual food??! I’ll first say that you can BARELY, if at all, taste the mushrooms when you add them to your coffee. And really, this is one of the most powerful super foods you can add to your coffee. These are huge energy boosters without having a energy bonk later. So this is a great option if you’re a herbal or un-caffeinated coffee drinker but still want to get some “juice” out of your java. For the other benefits of mushrooms, the list goes on and on….and on! Immune system stimulator, adrenal balancer, stimulate neuron growth, etc. This stuff is just plain old AWESOME.

What to look for: A popular mix is called 14 Mushroom Blend, which is made by numerous companies. The specific types and amounts of mushrooms in each differs but they all usually have the major powerhouse mushrooms (cordyceps, reishi, shiitake, etc.) included in them. Being a powder make sure you whisk it throughout your coffee well OR if you use a paper filter. Add it right in with your ground beans before brewing.

6) Ghee:

Ghee or clarified butters is creeping to the top of trending health food chart. By combining this healthy fat with an energy booster like coffee, you get more sustained energy than one big ZING and CRASH!. It’s also high in vitamin K2, a vitamin to help calcium get to your bones. Like the maca though, KNOW you like the taste of Ghee before you jump on board with this one!

What to look for: Look for ghee that is made from unsalted, grass-fed and organic butter. I’m pretty sure this one doesn’t need to be explained 😉

So next time you make a cup of Joe, boost up the health benefits and feel even better!

Picking your Beans:

With the rows upon rows of coffee that are filling the grocery store aisles or coffee shops shelves. How do you know what to pick….Here are things to consider when picking your beans:

Roast

Organic

Form (dependent on what you use to make your coffee)

Flavor or unflavored

Caffeinated/un-caffeinated (herbal coffee is a great un-caffeinated option)